Communication network apparatus and method

• US 9,124,487 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2012
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lu, Xiaolin
• Primary Examiner(s): EBRAHIM, ANEZ C
• Application Number:
  US13/437,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20120246280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/00 Routing or path finding of packets in data switching networks routing or path finding in wireless networks H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/62 Wavelength based optical switching H04Q11/0062

Abstract

A communication network apparatus and method for routing communication signals form a source device to a receiving device. The apparatus performs only local processing on communication signals to thereby increase the speed of processing the signals. A plurality of the processing nodes is combined into a plurality of sub-networks that comprise the network apparatus. Each processing node of a sub-network need only process address information pertaining to the node'"'"'s current layer, one layer above it, if any, and one layer below it, if any. Additionally, each processing node has associated communication signal frequencies/wavelengths that identify the processing node as the intended recipient of the communication signal.

Claims

1. A method for configuring a network, comprising:

grouping, by a processor, processing nodes of the network into a plurality of sub-networks, wherein each one of the processing nodes comprises a medium interface, a processing module, a filter and an input/output interface, wherein each one of the processing nodes routes communication data received via an input port of a plurality of input ports of the medium interface to an output port of a plurality of output ports of the medium interface based upon the input port and a frequency of the communication data, and wherein each one of the processing nodes modulates the communication data onto a carrier signal when the communication data is not an express signal and when the communication data is not assigned to the processing node;

organizing, by the processor, the plurality of sub-networks into layers where sub-networks within each layer are not directly coupled to each other; and

coupling, by the processor, processing nodes of a layer to a processing node of an above sub-network of an upper layer, unless the layer is a top layer, and to a processing node of a below sub-network of a lower layer, unless the layer is a child device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling each processing node of each sub-network to one other processing node of the sub-network.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling each processing node of a sub-network to one processing node of an immediately above sub-network; and

coupling each processing node of the sub-network to a processing node of a below-sub-network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

coupling only one processing node of a sub-network to a processing node of an immediately above sub-network; and

coupling a processing node of the sub-network to one processing node of a below-sub-network.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

partitioning an address space of the network to correspond to the layers of sub-networks; and

identifying a first portion address, a second portion address, and a third portion address of an address of the address space, wherein the first portion address corresponds to processing nodes of above sub-networks, the second portion address corresponds to processing nodes of same sub-networks, and the third portion address corresponds to below sub-networks or child devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the coupling the processing nodes of a layer further comprises:

coupling processing nodes of a layer to a processing node of a plurality of above sub-networks of an upper layer, unless the layer is a top layer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a telecommunications network.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for configuring a network, the operations comprising:

grouping processing nodes of the network into a plurality of sub-networks, wherein each one of the processing nodes comprises a medium interface, a processing module, a filter and an input/output interface, wherein each one of the processing nodes routes communication data received via an input port of a plurality of input ports of the medium interface to an output port of a plurality of output ports of the medium interface based upon the input port and a frequency of the communication data, and wherein each one of the processing nodes modulates the communication data onto a carrier signal when the communication data is not an express signal and when the communication data is not assigned to the processing node;

organizing the plurality of sub-networks into layers where sub-networks within each layer are not directly coupled to each other; and

coupling processing nodes of a layer to a processing node of an above sub-network of an upper layer, unless the layer is a top layer, and to a processing node of a below sub-network of a lower layer, unless the layer is a child device.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

coupling each processing node of each sub-network to one other processing node of the sub-network.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

coupling each processing node of a sub-network to one processing node of an immediately above sub-network; and

coupling each processing node of the sub-network to a processing node of a below-sub-network.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

coupling only one processing node of a sub-network to a processing node of an immediately above sub-network; and

coupling a processing node of the sub-network to one processing node of a below-sub-network.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, further comprising:

partitioning an address space of the network to correspond to the layers of sub-networks; and

identifying a first portion address, a second portion address, and a third portion address of an address of the address space, wherein the first portion address corresponds to processing nodes of above sub-networks, the second portion address corresponds to processing nodes of same sub-networks, and the third portion address corresponds to below sub-networks or child devices.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the coupling the processing nodes of a layer further comprises:

coupling processing nodes of a layer to a processing node of a plurality of above sub-networks of an upper layer, unless the layer is a top layer.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein the network is a telecommunications network.

15. A network comprising:

a first layer of processing nodes; and

a second layer of processing nodes, wherein;

the processing nodes of each of the first and second layers are organized into sub-networks comprised of processing nodes, wherein each one of the processing nodes comprises a medium interface, a processing module, a filter and an input/output interface, wherein each one of the processing nodes routes communication data received via an input port of a plurality of input ports of the medium interface to an output port of a plurality of output ports of the medium interface based upon the input port and a frequency of the communication data, and wherein each one of the processing nodes modulates the communication data onto a carrier signal when the communication data is not an express signal and when the communication data is not assigned to the processing node;

sub-networks of a same layer are not directly coupled to each other; and

a processing node of each sub-network of the second layer is coupled to a processing node of a sub-network in the first layer, unless the second layer is a top layer, and to a processing node of a sub-network in a third layer.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein the network is a telecommunications network.